The Last Journals of David Livingstone, in Central Africa, from 1865 to His Death, Volume II (of 2), 1869-1873 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 336 pages of information about The Last Journals of David Livingstone, in Central Africa, from 1865 to His Death, Volume II (of 2), 1869-1873.

11th February, 1872.—­Rain nearly
all night. Scarcely a day has passed without
rain and thunder since we left Tanganyika Across a
flat forest again, meeting a caravan for Ujiji.
The grass is three feet high, and in seed. Reach
Chikuru, a stockaded village, with dura plantations
around it and pools of rain-water.

12th February, 1872.—­Rest.

13th February, 1872.—­Leave Chikuru,
and wade across an open flat with much standing-water.
They plant rice on the wet land round the villages.
Our path lies through an open forest, where many trees
are killed for the sake of the bark, which is used
as cloth, and for roofing and beds. Mr. Stanley
has severe fever.

14th February, 1872.—­Across the
same flat open forest, with scraggy trees and grass
three feet long in tufts. Came to a Boma.
N.E. Gunda.

15th February, 1872.—­Over the same
kind of country, where the water was stagnant, to
camp in the forest.

16th February, 1872.—­Camp near Kigando,
in a rolling country with granite knolls.

17th February, 1872.—­Over a country,
chiefly level, with stagnant water; rounded hills
were seen. Cross a rain torrent and encamp in
a new Boma, Magonda.

18th February, 1872.—­Go through
low tree-covered hills of granite, with blocks of
rock sticking out: much land cultivated, and many
villages. The country now opens out and we come
to the Tembe,[16] in the midst of many straggling
villages. Unyanyembe. Thanks to the Almighty.

FOOTNOTES:

[14] The reader will best judge of the success of
the experiment by looking at a specimen of the writing.
An old sheet of the Standard newspaper, made
into rough copy-books, sufficed for paper in the absence
of all other material, and by writing across the print
no doubt the notes were tolerably legible at the time.
The colour of the decoction used instead of ink has
faded so much that if Dr. Livingstone’s handwriting
had not at all times been beautifully clear and distinct
it would have been impossible to decipher this part
of his diary.—­Ed.

[15] Thus the question of the Lusize was settled at
once: the previous notion of its outflow to the
north proved a myth.—­ED.